Red Bull will lose 1.2 seconds on Baku main straight

Red Bull will struggle against their nearest rival Ferrari and Mercedes during this weekend’s European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.

Red Bull F1 Racing, meanwhile, has been impressed with Renault’s improvements so far in 2016 but is not expecting to enjoy the extremely long straight at Baku F1 street circuit.

Team advisor Helmut Marko said that the long straights of the Baku F1 street circuit could prove to be their respective teams’ undoing.

“In our calculations, we assume we will lose 1.2 seconds on that straight,” Marko is quoted by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

“We have an excellent car but we can never make all of that (deficit) up in the corners.”

2.2 kilometres long straights, expected to have a high top speed, with cars reaching 340kph as they pass the pits and reach the braking zone for turn one on Neftchiler Avenue. This would be the sixth-highest on the current F1 circuits.